Action Figure #885: Star Wars The Black Series Eleventh Brother

 They are a rather large family.

 The Black Series team is firing on all cylinders as now we get the Eleventh Brother who happens to be yet ANOTHER character we've been itching to have in plastic form for a while now. All it took was him being a prominent antagonist in a new show!

 Many people, me included. were a bit apprehensive about how flat the mask inside the hood looked... well, good news, in person, it looks really, really good. For some reason, photos make it look flatter than it really is, but trust me, it looks really good. The rest of the figure seems to be an all new sculpt, and he is pretty mean looking, so I like it. He has a soft-goods cape that has this neat stitching on either side!

 His only accessory is his dual light saber.

 So, one thing worth mentioning, the cape is tied to the chest via these slim threads. I hope they are durable, because, to me, they look a bit flimsy.

 On the articulation end of things, same old, same old. Single jointed elbows and knees, with butterfly joints, useless thigh swivels and a ball-jointed ab crunch. Surprisingly, he uses the old-style hinged wrists over the ball pegs. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but I wonder why they are using the old hands with such a newer figure.

 Now then, picture above is as far as he can turn his head before it pops out of the neck. This is a HUGE issue because it kills most of the really cool poses he could strike. And it's really sad, because other than that, this figure would've been perfect. He is almost as tall as Bucky Cap.

 Man, this one hurts, because I absolutely adore everything about the figure... but the head articulation. No, really, if he could turn his head he'd be a perfect 10 because everything about him is just THAT good.

9.0

Action Figure #884: Star Wars The Black Series Jaina Solo (Jacen Solo 2 Pack)

 Real Skywalkers come in twos.

 I've been meaning to get Jaina Solo for a long time, but another purchase always got in the way, thankfully this 2-Pack gave me the perfect excuse to finally get her!

 So, this figure is identical to the single carded release, but painted in orange instead of black, and with more realistic face paint apps. I'll admit... I never quite liked the Pilot Uniform, just look at how many Pilots I own! So I think the black suit looks much better. I'm of half a mind to track the older release and swap the heads around. Regardless, much like Jacen, this is a lazy release in which they did the bare minimum. But it IS a good looking figure, and the face looks like someone that shared blood with Leia.

 She comes with her lightsaber, a blaster and a pilot helmet.

 The pilot vest and straps can be removed, and I'm of half a mind to do it since I don't really like it... But I'm not sure if this character in bright orange will look better without the white, brown and grey straps. It would in black, just sayin'.

 Articulation-wise, she seems to be a Mara Jade reuse, so she has single jointed elbows with deep cuts, double jointed knees, a ball jointed ab crunch, swivels on her thighs and a hinged waist. Sadly, no butterfly joints, but other than that, she's pretty good!

 Mind the hair, because her ponytail is already getting stressed! She is a bit shorter than Bucky Cap.

 While I would've preferred a black costume re-release, this figure gets the job done. They did a great job at bringing Jaina to life, and Mara Jade's buck offers a ton of articulation for a female figure, so no complaints there either! If only she wasn't wearing that ugly orange Pilot uniform...

8.5

Action Figure #883: Star Wars The Black Series Jacen Solo

 Ben Solo from another Universe.

 The best part about getting Jacen Solo is that this opens up the gates for non-gaming Expanded  Universe figures. But I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I?

 So... While the Black Series team is usually eager to sculpt new stuff, when it comes to their Gaming line they usually cut costs... And this is no exception. Jacen Solo is a straight up Bespin Luke reuse. And, to be fair, these clothes are usually how Jacen is depicted, but they could've made a new sculpt to make him taller than tiny Luke, or gone with his Darth Cadeus look. But, look, it's Jacen, it's the Expanded Universe. I'm not gonna look at the gift horse's mouth. And, for what it's worth, the head sculpt is spectacular, this looks like a young Han Solo., down to the cocky smirk.

 His only accessory is his green lightsaber.

Articulation is what you'd expect. Single jointed elbows and knees with decent bends, a ball jointed waist and butterfly joints hidden beneath the soft plastic chest overlay. He is a fun figure to pose around. Being a Luke headswap means he is about a head shorter than Bucky Cap.

 Lazy? Absolutely. But he is a great representation of Jacen Solo, and I'm happy to own him.

8.5

Action Figure #882: Star Wars The Black Series Embo

 Barely a couple of months old AND already outdated.

 Embo is one of Clone Wars tertiary characters that were long overdue, and he us finally here... and already outdated because a couple of months after he released an overpriced two pack with his wolf was announced. He doesn't even get his Clone Wars color scheme, it's a straight up re-packaging. What were they thinking?

 First things first, this is The Mandalorian & Grogu's Embo, which is why he is painted in such drab and lifeless colors instead of the vibrant oranges from the show. I much prefer that design, but at this point I'll take this one, because colors aside, he is very distinguishable as Embo. And, y'know, love was poured into sculpting this guy, he is filled with textures and tiny details all over.

 He comes with a crossbow, two kama-looking weapons which might be his bow and his iconic flat hat that... really doesn't stay on very well, sadly.

 The arms of the crossbow are articulated in two places, but the joints are tiny and feel very frail, so I wouldn't play with them too much.

 For some reason they sculpted every finger individually. This is nothing important, nor does it add, or detract, from the figure in any way, but I found it quite curious.

 The articulation is as good as it could possibly be. Elbows and knees are single jointed, with deep cuts that go slightly over 90 degrees, the waist is ball jointed, he gets tiny butterfly joints and the new ball-peg wrists. The only problem are the clothes he wears on his wait, as these heavily restrict how much he can move his legs up, down and to the sides. He is almost as tall as Bucky Cap.

 Embo is a really good figure. I think they did the best they could considering the design, although they could've made the hat stay on better. It's a shame Hasbro decided to outdate this release so soon.

7.5

Action Figure #881: Star Wars The Black Series Axe Woves

 Sadly, no axe included.

 While I need to catch up with The Mandalorian, I will still be getting Axe Woves into my collection, because, man, I can't say no to Mandos!

 Axe is another Mando in blue, but this time around he gets a few greys and blacks to liven things up. He has a unique belt, but other than that, he is your average Mando. He can remove his helmet, which is pretty neat.

 He only has two accessories, a pistol and a jetpack. The jetpack comes off at the slightest breeze which kinda sucks.

 Articulation is up to par. Single jointed elbows and knees with good enough bend each. A ball jointed ab crunch on his torso, and swivels on his thighs. The funnels of his jetpack can be moved up and down, as well as his targeting reticule. The shoulder pads move alongside the arms, so no issues there. Sadly, this is another figure with loose kneepads over his knees. That said, the only big annoyance is the one mentioned before: How easily his jetpack falls when posing him. He is almost as tall as Bucky Cap.

 He is another fun Mando. While I don't particularly care about this color scheme, he sorta makes up for it by being able to remove the helmet.

7.5

Action Figure #880: Marvel Legends Magik (Secret Wars Wave)

 Everything's magik!

 I discovered Magik for the first time while reading the Rogue Cyclops comics and I instantly fell in love with her. The sass! The quirkiness! Her relationship with Cyke! I didn't know who she was,  but boy, I was in love. And while her original figure got the job done, I've been waiting for an updated Magik for a long while, and while this isn't quite what I wanted... it is a step in the right direction.

 As far as the sculpt goes, well, the body is a simple teen female buck using the New Mutants uniform. There's not much else to say there, really, but what makes Magik stand out is her armored arm which looks phenomenal, as the shine and shade of grey they picked makes it look like iron. The head sculpt is very pretty too, must be one of the best looking faces the ML team has ever done. The one thing... Magik really isn't this short nowadays, but considering this is her original look... I guess it's fine.

 She comes with two fists, a gloved gripping hand, an iron open hand, a sword, a swirly effect for the sword and the dumb lenticular shield.

 Articulation is pretty good considering they are using the retooled female teen buck. She has double jointed elbows and knees, with swivels on her thighs, boots and biceps. Her ab crunch is on a ball joint. The hair is somewhat restrictive on the articulation, since the hair will effectively push the arm towards her body, but its workeable.

 Here she is compared to the design I like better. The articulation is much better in every single way, and she has much better proportions, just look at how big her older head was! And that sucks, because I like her modern design so much better! Hopefully we get that look remade in a taller buck. She is about a head shorter than Bucky Cap.

 This Magik figure is phenomenal. Not my favorite look, but, c'mon, it's better than the other figure in every other way. And considering how gummy current Marvel Legends are, this one feels pretty good.

8.5

Action Figure #879: Mattel DC Premier Joker

 Is this a plastical joke?

 And now I've finally got a proper Joker of all things! At first, I was happy owning the modern(at the time) black suit Joker, but eventually I realized I needed a more classic figure. But Mattel's Multiverse and UC figures just didn't do it for me... I don't know, I never much cared for the more square-headed Joker of the 90's... but third time's the charm with their Premier line!

 This Joker is absolutely delightful. The entire body uses a new sculpt, and it is a very classic purple suit/yellow vest ensemble he is usually drawn in, but, what I like the most, is that the head-sculpt is very modern, with slicked back hair and a truly evil smile. This is the kind of Joker I've been waiting to own.

 The accessories are... well, it seems Mattel is not done throwing everything at the wall, looking at what sticks. He has... green land-mines, for some reason, a weird Clown mini Ax, which is hollow on one side... but, he also comes with a giant rifle that ends on an articulated denture, which, arguably, is something he would wield, and it comes with four proyectiles you can shoot, and this gun can be equipped on the Batmobile as well. Keep in mind the gun is rather... heavy, so it makes balancing him a bit harder. You could use the round peg, meant for the Batmobile, as a secondary grip for it.

 And he also comes with Jokerized faces for the standard Batman, Robin and Flash figures! These snap onto the heads of said characters, and they are pretty cool accessories!

 He has the same articulation as the rest of the line: Single jointed elbows, double jointed knees, swivels on his waist and thighs. No ab crunch, but it's alright.

 Here he is compared to the InJustice Joker I was using as a stand-in for the kind of Joker I wanted in my collection. It's night and day, this one looks so vibrant, the headsculpt is so nightmarishly devious in comparison to the flat smile the other one had, and the articulation is better in every single way. He is slightly taller than Bucky Cap. 

 Much like John Stewart, this figure is absolutely brilliant. Of course, being part of the kid's line, the articulation isn't exceptional which is what holds back the figure, but while he has a lot of filler accessories, the gun works well for Joker, and the Jokerized masks are perfect. And, yeah, this is how I wanted the Joker in my collection to look like.

8.0

Action Figure #878: Overwatch Ultimates Reinhardt

 Hammer Time just turned serious. Deadly serious.

 Sometimes, all a boy wants is a giant toy to play with. Which is why getting Reinhardt was a no brainer. Tall, huge and helluva expensive, I managed to find him at a decent price, albeit missing a couple of accessories.

 Reinhardt is the first figure from this line that I  would call 100% spectacular. The figure is cast in dark greys and lighter, metallic greys, and it all helps make him look like a Knight. The energy nodes are, much like Genji, painted with dull yellows, but since the rest of the figure looks so imposing, and all the sculpted details are so large... they don't look half as bad as Genji's.

 He comes with his huge hammer, which is too heavy for cool single-handed poses and, had I gotten him complete, a shield and a deployed shield.

 He gets double jointed elbows and knees, but the armored limbs are so thick they might as well be single jointed for all the range they get. He has bicep swivels and thigh swivels, but the thigh armor is so thick that you can't turn the legs very well, nor do they allow for a decent leg split. The ab crunch is ball jointed, but it doesn't get much of a crunch mind you, and he has no waist articulation whatsoever. The huge shoulder pads can move up and down, thus allowing him to raise his arms without much issue. He is quite a tall boy, towering over Bucky Cap, being closer to Hulk's height than anything.

 Soldier: 76 was the first Overwatch figure I thought was really good. Well, Reinhardt is the first one I think is a must have. The articulation isn't amazing, but it's serviceable, and the sculpt is just SO good, he is such a fun figure to own.

8.5

Action Figure #877: Star Wars The Black Series Hunter (The Bad Batch)

 The hunter becomes the hunted... but in Season 2.

 No, I have not watched the Bad Batch yet, but that won't stop me from getting Hunter into my collection. I mean, he is starting to get a bit pricey and I found a good deal on him...

 Hunter looks pretty spiffy in his grey and black armor, and he is the closest to a traditional clone... for he uses the same buck as the Republic Commandos! Finally an explanation to for the hole on their gauntlets! Aside from that, yeah, he looks pretty cool, both with and without his helmet.

 His accessories are a backpack, which sadly uses the T shaped peg the Republic Commandos use, a blaster gun, a blaster pistol and a vibro knife. That said, as per usual, he only has a single trigger finger.

 Here he is next to a Republic Commando. Same buck, different paint job and accesories.

 On the articulation end, he does have butterfly joints, but they don't offer much extra range. He has single jointed elbows and knees, with good range on them, a ball jointed waist, and swivels on his thighs. Overall, it's really good for the poses you'll probably have him in. He is a hair shorter than Bucky Cap.

 Hunter is a fine figure. As with the other Bad Batch members, the black and grey color scheme is lovely and makes these guys stand out. And I'm starting to love how badass they look together! As soon as I finish the Republic Commandos I'm coming after these!

7.0

Action Figure #876: Marvel Legends Nova (Groot BAF Wave)

 And now, my Nova corps are made up of Richard and Richard.

 When it came to picking up a Nova for my collection I picked the Classic Richard Rider that had come out not so long ago. Mainly because he had a lot of gold, whereas this Nova, as Nova Prime, was mostly clad in blue. Big Mistake! This is the look I was introduced to the character, when he ripped Annihilus's guts right out of his throat, plus, it's his Marvel VS Capcom 3 look! This is how I like Nova, this is the figure I should've bought.

 So, Nova Prime... I really like this look for thee character, an it looks particularly nice with the metallic deep blue and ochre yellow color scheme they cast and painted him in. While it's definitely not gold, the contrast with the blue makes all the yellow pop. While he is clearly based on the Bucky mold, a lot of unique sculpting went into him, which is just lovely.

 He comes with no accessories at all, which is a bit disappointing.

 Articulation covers all the basics with double jointed elbows and knees, swivels on his waist, thighs and biceps as well a hinged ab crunch with not a whole lot of range, but it is there. Butterfly joints would've been nice, but what is here is good enough.

 The shoulder pads lie on these tendrils of sorts that can be lifted to allow for more arm movement. I haven't seen the ML team use this before, and while it's a decent compromise, they've done more elegant solutions for the shoulder pads.

 Compared to the Classic Nova... he does look a bit smaller, eh! Even the head is much smaller. As such, he is shorter than Bucky Cap.

 This Nova is a fine figure. Nice sculpt, very eye catching color scheme, a pretty decent range of articulation... If anything, he is missing some energy affects and maybe proportions that fit better with Bucky Cap, but other than that? He is just the Nova I didn't know I wanted.

7.5